Saturday, January 2, 2016

The score would have been much higher had it not been for the "brilliant defensive work" of Ken Schroeder, captain of the Eskimos in the Chapleau High School hockey league, I wrote in the Mid North News as 1958 drew to a close.

The Irishmen, with their captain Louis Fortin, "rolled over" the Eskimos 6-4 as John Fortin (Louis' brother) "sparked" the victory with four goals, and Louis and Dave Mizuguchi added the others.

Charlie Purich, who some years later would be referred to as the "catalyst" of the hockey team when Dr. Karl A. Hackstetter was principal scored two with Jim Lane and Joey Bignucolo adding singles for the losing team. For the record, Bruce Poynter was the referee.

I didn't explain Ken's brilliant defensive work but I was only beginning a lifetime of doing and teaching English, communications and journalism in five provinces In Canada and the United States so how was I to know I should back up my comments.

I never asked Louis how he happened to be captain of a team called the "Irishmen" either, but I will now and also ask Ken to explain his defensive work. I am still in touch with both of them.

I somehow think Ken was playing defense as his team did not have a goaltender. At one time Ken played goal.

Anyway, in 2016, it is 58 years since I first wrote for a newspaper. Little did I think it's what I would still be doing. I agree with the American author Reynolds Price who wrote in part that “A need to tell and hear stories is essential to the species ...and the sound of story is the dominant sound of our lives..."

Back to the arena. In another game, Philip Fournier "sparked" the Redmen to a 5-1 victory over the Irishmen with three goals while Ron Morris and Frank Broomhead scored the others.

Boo, Roger, Butch

The school's All Star team was playing in the Chapleau Mercantile League and the only photo I could find from that era was of Harry Pellow, Roger Mizuguchi and Harry Hong, who seem to be playing for the YMCA Flyers though. More research needed!

Meanwhile, Joy Evans, who co-wrote the CHS column with me was writing about the "hustle and bustle" of the season over at the school. Joy noted that the "gym had been transformed into a winter wonderland" for the annual Christmas party. Providing great assistance were Phyllis Chrusoskie, Helen Telik and Sharon Swanson.

Not in our column, but worthy of note was the trip to Terrace Bay in the 1956-57 school year , in our own car on the CPR to complete against the high school there in hockey, curling, basketball and bowling. George Lemon, had arrived as principal, succeeding John McClellan, who retired in 1956 after 30 years as principal and teacher. My memory fails me on who won in each sport.

Also in those years, the school's Girls Bugle Band, part of the 1181 CHS Cadet Corps participated in community events, including the annual winter carnival.

As I wind this up with my very best wishes for 2016, those were days when I was a student at Chapleau High School, and all these years later, it is so awesome to still be in touch with friends from those growing up in Chapleau years.

I leave you with the chorus from "Those Were the Days My Friend" made popular by Mary Hopkin in 1968. Those are still the days my friends even though we have aged a bit in years.Happy New Year! My email is mj.morris@live.ca

"Those were the days my friend

We thought they'd never endWe'd sing and dance forever and a dayWe'd live the life we chooseWe'd fight and never loseThose were the days, oh yes those were the days."

FMCC NEWS

Michael J Morris (photo by Michael Pelzer)

Michael J Morris

Michael is a writer, editor, motivational speaker, storyteller, teacher - and now a blogger. He is available for interesting assignments. Email Michael at mj.morris@live.ca

He has spent more than 50 years doing and teaching journalism and effective communications, taking early retirement after he established a new media communications grad program at College of the Rockies. Michael also taught at Chapleau High School.

His latest project is the just completed "The Chapleau Boys Go to War" written with his cousin Michael K McMullen. SHOP NOW at Amazon.com for your copy

Since he retired Michael has conducted workshops with a focus on social media applications.

Michael has written for several Canadian daily newspapers, including The Star-Phoenix(Saskatoon), Kingston Whig-Standard, The Daily Press (Timmins), Toronto Star, Chatham Daily News and Brampton Times as well as serving as editor of "Insider" while at COTR. He is the author of 'Sons of Thunder - Apostles of Love' a history of St, John's Anglican Church, Chapleau.

Among his ongoing projects Michael writes a weekly column for the Chapleau Express, on the life and times of Chapleau, Ontario, where he was raised.